Love Will Find A Way
by HighOnCookies
Summary: Roark likes Gardenia. Candice likes Volkner. Too bad for them, as their particular love interests are interested in each other…please don't flame me.
1. Chapter 1

-1_Note: I own Pokemon! Seriously! I had a dream once, so I know it's true!_

In Snowpoint City, high on Mt. Coronet in the region known as Sinnoh, a black-haired gym leader called Candice was surfing the internet, after her crush had turned down an invitation to come ice-skating with her for a date with Gardenia. Might as well have been like that. Candice didn't think Volkner from Sunyshore would have been very good on the ice.

That didn't mean she was any less disappointed. She was even angry, a little, but her anger was directed entirely at Gardenia. It was classic for a romance novel: the main character's best friend takes the leading male, then the guy realizes his true feelings for the character and breaks up with the best friend. Whether or not the friend finds her own true love depended on the novel. Right now, Candice couldn't care less. Life was no romance novel, so she was somewhat prepared for heartbreak. That didn't make the pain any less tolerable, though.

The ice-type user sighed as her computer took its own sweet time loading up the page. Clutching her Sneasel doll close to her chest, she picked up the phone, hoping with all her heart that she wasn't about to do what she was planning on doing…

But her fingers hit the numbers of their own accord, and she was soon to be forced to break the news to him.

_Well, _Candice thought, putting the doll aside, _at least we'll share each other's pain and sorrow…_

(Oreburgh City)

It was sunset. Roark had just left the mine after a surprisingly challenger-free day, and was ready to go straight to the gym in case of an actual challenger, and the rest of the night would go smoothly from there.

Too bad for him.

The phone was ringing as soon as he walked through the doors. He ran to it, skidding to a halt right before grabbing it.

"Hello?" he asked. He heard nervous stuttering and a picture of Candice's blank face was across the videophone screen.

"Roark, sorry, I must have hit the wrong button again, sorry to-"

"Candice," Roark interrupted, "we all know you only ramble when you're putting off some heart-wrenching story."

Candice winced. "Ok, you got me." Arceus, she was going to start bawling any minute, the tears were there, ready to come like rivers…

Roark blinked. "So there _is_ some heart-wrenching story?"

Candice sniffled. "More like heart-breaking. You know Gardenia?"

How could he not? The pretty face, the obsession over grass-types, the love of the forest…Roark himself had confessed to Candice about his crush, after much pressuring on her part, while he had been hoping she would give him insight to the Eterna City leader's mind.

He nodded.

"Well, don't ask her on a date, all right? She's…taken."

Wow. Heart-breaking was right. "By who?" He tried to sound casual, and by the look on Candice's face, he had either done a very bad job or had said something she didn't want to talk about, or both.

She gave a choking sob that sounded incredibly like "Volkner," but the rock-type user wasn't quite sure.

"Well," Candice sniffled, "I just thought it would…be easier if you d-didn't talk to her about r-romance."

The single, dust-mite-sized fragment of his heart that remained unhurt by the news of Gardenia felt sorry for the sobbing gym leader.

"I-I've got to go," she said, signing off.


	2. Chapter 2

-1

_3 reviews already! Thank you, darkflame414, Hollywing, and Ikarishipping fan! Can you believe this was my first attempt at sadness and broken hearts? I sure can't, but since it is, I'm forced to._

_For fans of the Sinnoh Elite Four: Beware of jokes involving Flint and/or his afro! I'm a fan of Fire Pokemon, and a fan of their users(even Flint and Blaine) but some characters are just too easy to make fun of._

_As for the question of a sequel, maybe, when this one's done._

Worse than that? Gardenia and Volkner had been together for a few months, and managed to keep it secret from not only their fellow gym leaders, but challengers and the Pokemon League. Since he heard this, Roark had been really worrying his Pokemon.

Any Pokemon close to its trainer will likely be able to tell if said trainer was mad, sad, or happy. If the Pokemon was a Gardevoir, or any other psychic-type for that matter, it would probably share these emotions. Of course, Rampardos was not, so he, Geodude, and Onix took it in turns to spy on Roark over the next few days.

"Geodude, I see you," said Roark, catching the armed boulder in the act of spying. The rock got the anime sweat drop.

"Geodude," he said nervously. (TRANSLATION: "Hi, Roark.")

The gym leader didn't reply. Geodude found that the perfect cover for sneaking out of the room. Onix, about to take over the spying-on-Roark, made a mental note to force a Pokemon with fingers to call Byron to talk some sense into his son.

(Eterna City)

Gardenia hugged her boyfriend. "Are you sure you can't stay for a little while longer?" she pleaded.

The blond looked away. "Well, maybe a few hours more, but I can't leave my gym alone forever. And I definitely don't want to pull Flint away from his Elite title to replace me."

Gardenia shuddered at the thought of the afroed Elite member left alone for a _week_. She couldn't - or perhaps she didn't want to - imagine what would happen if he became Sunyshore's gym leader _permanently_.

Volkner didn't pretend, like Roark would have, not to notice. "Exactly," he said.

(Snowpoint city)

Just as Roark used quiet as an antidote to heartbreak, Candice used music. For example, the speakers in the gym, which used to be playing songs like "Bubbly" and "Realize" by Colbie Calliat, was now playing different songs. Mostly country, as that has so many songs about breaking up with boyfriends/girlfriends. Currently, the track was Taylor Swift's "Should've Said No."

Of course, one challenger who had come back for a rematch had asked about it, but it only made Candice put her entire heart into defeating the poor girl again. Her Ponyta didn't stand a chance against Medicham.

"Sorry about that," said Candice after the battle, "but a Gym Leader's job is to do the best we can to win."

The challenger nodded. "We'll just have to fight harder next time!" Never mind the fact that this was the girl's second rematch.

Candice sighed and sat down on the gym leader's side of the arena, never minding that she was wearing a skirt that could easily get dirty. Her anger at Gardenia had faded, mostly because she had replaced it with anger at herself. If only she had been a bit quicker on asking Volkner out, he wouldn't have fallen for Gardenia at all. Or even if he did, at least Candice would have these happy memories to help heal her after the break-up. She mentally cursed herself for being too slow, and tried to think of any happy memory.

She looked up to see the gym's referee staring at her.

"Is everything all right?" the referee asked.

What should she say? _Oh, no, ever since my best friend stole the guy I have been in love with for nearly two years my life has become my own personal hell? _Candice was not the kind of person to say that. She could think it, she could mean it, but she had an image to protect.

"Stomachache," Candice lied. The disbelieving look proved she was no liar. "All right, I was up late again."

That one was actually bought. Candice wondered how Roark would explain himself to his father if Byron ever found out about it.

The thought made her giggle, a sound that wasn't often heard nowadays.

**Yes, I know that part with Roark sucked, but Candice is much more interesting, as she actually goes places other than a mine, underground, and her gym.**


	3. Chapter 3

-1

"Roark," said Byron. "According to your Pokemon, you've been having a bit of trouble with Gardenia."

The fossil nerd glared at his Pokemon. Rampardos had become very interested in polishing his many horns. However, at the look from his trainer, he responded with a silent challenge to confess at least part of it.

"The little trouble? It isn't little," Roark explained.

"Well, it's high time you had a girlfriend…" Byron started, but he caught Rampardos's _don't say anything _look and fell silent. "Let me guess: She broke your heart." Roark said nothing. Byron took that as a yes. "Listen, Roark, I know you consider this stupid, having your father guess everything, but I can tell from your face exactly what's going on. I'm surprised it took you this long for…" another glare from Rampardos, "well, never mind that."

"Thank you," said Roark shortly. The last thing he needed was his dad making comments about his life.

"But I was called to talk some sense into you. You can't just keep quiet for the rest of your life, you know."

"I can talk," Roark protested.

"In very short sentences," said Byron. The caped gym leader was getting annoyed. "Which is better than not at all, but you might scare off challengers like this."

Roark fought the impulse to say that he didn't think so.

(Gardenia and Volkner)

"Well," said Flint, who had recently turned up to find two gym leaders in a position innocent enough for a K-rated fic, but sends the Moss/Senirasu readers into this angry uproar. "Who would have thought."

He was grinning like a maniac, clearly enjoying the ability to hang this over his best friend's head for years to come. Volker scowled at him.

"Why are you even here?" he asked. "Last I checked, this was Gardenia's gym."

This triggered a memory in the Elite member's mind. "Oh yeah…Cynthia decided I was supposed to be the messenger for a Sinnoh conference, and she said all gym leaders and Elite trainers were supposed to be there. Anyway, you weren't in Sunyshore, so I decided to look for you elsewhere." His moronic grin got wider. "And I guess I've found you."

Gardenia turned to a little turtle Pokemon. "Turtwig, Razor Leaf."

Flint ducked just in time. "All right, I'll get out of your personal lives. Just remember, a meeting for the gym leaders and Elite in Sinnoh."

As he left, probably to deliver the message to Roark, Gardenia turned back to Volkner and asked if something was wrong with the Elite member.

"Only with his head," the Naruto-look-alike replied, serious as ever.

(Snowpoint)

Candice was not looking forward to that meeting. All gym leaders were required to be there, meaning Volkner and Gardenia as well. And they were the people she was least looking forward to seeing.

"WHY does Cynthia choose NOW to call a meeting?" she growled. "We'll all have to put up with Aaron's flipping bug obsession…"

Of course, she had only said that in case the snoopy referee had been listening. She really did not want to see Volkner and Gardenia.

All right, she did.


	4. Chapter 4

-1

Candice was at home, where no referees could hear, and ranting to her Pokemon.

"What if he talks to me?" she said. "Or if he and Gardenia are acting all romantic-like?"

Sneasel and Abomasnow watched their trainer with mild amusement, while Snover and Medicham listened and tried helping her out of it.

"Snover!" the Ice/Grass combination said. (TRANSLATION: "They won't!") Of course, she wasn't sure, but she was close enough.

Candice sighed. "The truth is…I don't think Roark and I will be able to ever fully recover from this…he was too shy, he missed Gardenia, and I was too slow and…"

"Sneasel!" ("Stop it!")

Sneasel jumped down from her post and started talking some sense into her trainer(unlike Roark's Pokemon, she did not have to enlist backup in the form of the gym leader's parent). Candice only seemed to be half-listening as she started daydreaming.

(Oreburgh)

"Rampardos! Use headbutt!" Roark called.

The challenger flinched. "Piplup, get out of the way!"

His blue penguin jumped to the side and barely avoided it.

"Now try Bubblebeam!"

"Head Smash!"

Rampardos took the hit with very little damage at all. It rammed into Piplup and sent the small Pokemon flying.

"Piplup is unable to battle! Roark is the winner!"

Well, Byron was right. A good battle could take your mind off things.

(later)

Volkner had just returned to Sunyshore, thinking of various ways to kill his best friend(it was Flint's fault for threatening Volkner/Gardenia blackmail) and not get arrested, when the gym referee announced that he had two challengers waiting.

"They've been waiting all day," the referee explained. The Gym Leader made an impatient noise and prepared for the first battle.

Arceus, this was going to be easy.


	5. Chapter 5

-1

_Note: Finally done! This chapter has my Pokemon fan character in it. Volkner's cousin heard about Candice and Roark's recent trouble, and she decides to let Volkner know what he did to Candice. Unfortunately, in this story, Volkner might need a few things spelled out to him, and she has him figure things out on his own._

_As for the Moss Rock, there are a few Moss fics that have Roark admiring/becoming obsessed over the Moss Rock(Orangen's "Of Rocks and Relationships" and Hollywing's "Constellation") so I figured I'd include something like it._

_The "fanboy the rock" phrase came from an early page of the Mosshipping discussion on the Serebii forums._

(Olivine City, Johto)

"I talked to Candice," said Jasmine into a phone. "It seems that Volkner's relationship with Gardenia upset her."

"Freaking idiot," said the Gym Leader on the other end, rolling her eyes. "He never could tell the emotions of females."

"Darcy, I think it might be best if you talk to him."

Darcy held up a hand. "Hey, I'm his cousin," she said. "You're his friend. This whole Candice-Volkner-Gardenia-Roark thing would be taken seriously if he heard it from you. He'd think it was one of my lies."

"That may be, but I, unlike you, have challengers," said Jasmine. "The Gym starts up again tomorrow. Just pass along that you heard it from me."

(Oreburgh)

"Geodude, give them back," Roark commanded, holding out a hand for his glasses, which Geodude had swiped. The Pokemon was torn between handing them over to his irritated trainer or making a run for it.

"Geodude," Roark repeated. Geodude hesitated. He and Roark's other Pokemon had been playing tricks on their trainer, and sure, swiping the glasses wasn't the best idea any one of them had come up with, but heck, Roark needed a distraction. It was bad enough he had managed to escape them and go to Eterna Forest, even if it _was_ just to fanboy a rock.

Finally, Geodude reluctantly handed the gym leader his glasses. Rampardos and Onix had much better ideas. Maybe next time, they'd let him try one instead of making him think for himself.

(Sunyshore)

Volkner was bored out of his mind until his cousin, a Dark-type user and gym leader in another region, came to randomly challenge him to a battle.

"Volkner!" said Darcy, her impatient mood switching to happiness in an instant.

"Don't you have your own gym?"

"Yes, but I have no _challengers_," said Darcy, slowly and clearly. "What fun is it being the final gym leader in a region if you don't have any free _time_?"

She had chosen to mention the one thing that annoyed him most about being the toughest gym leader in a region. Resisting the urge to tell her that the problem was that the toughest gym leaders had _too much _free time, he said "So you decided to annoy your cousin, is that it?"

"No, I call random people sometimes," said Darcy cheerfully. "As long as I know them." She scratched her Mightyena between the ears. "But Jasmine told me something about Candice that I figured you should know." She sounded worried, and Volkner didn't miss that.

"You're worried about Candice?" Volkner could have sworn his heart stopped beating before it remembered its job was to keep him alive. "Has something happened to her?" His previous annoyance with his father's sister's daughter disappeared. "Is it dangerous?"

Darcy looked him right in the eye. "Jasmine told me to tell you that Candice isn't very happy right now."

Volkner growled menacingly, knowing that threatening her was the only way to get her to make a tiny bit of sense. "Darcy, if you don't tell me what happened, I am going to set you up on a romantic date with Flint, just to see how long you'd last before-"

"I just freaking told you!" Darcy interrupted. "Candice is not too thrilled about the idea of you and Gardenia. Get it through your head, moron!"

It took a while for him to process her yelling, thinking at first that it was because of his threat. Then, he got it. And what he had to say was not the best remark.

"Holy (beep)."

Darcy snorted. "Nice choice of words, Volkner." Her voice was shaking with laughter.

For once, he had no comment, no comeback, no smart remark. He wasn't even listening.

In his carelessness, he had hurt Candice, and that was where his thoughts were.

"Remind me to thank you later," he said, and like a Mankey on drugs he was gone, leaving the Dark-type specialist blinking at the cloud of dust he had left behind.

"Mightyena," said Darcy, "didn't he just threaten to set me up with his friend to see how long I'd last before going insane? And now he's telling me to remind him to thank me later." She shook her head. "Now I'm positive I'll never understand him."

Mightyena growled in agreement.


	6. Chapter 6

-1

_**First off, I would have to say that I wrote an entire chapter, mentioning Flint three times but never making fun of his hair, and I am somewhat proud of that, because I really do like him. On the other hand, I have **__**a lot **__**of fun poking fun at the afro(but doesn't everybody?)**_

_**Previously in the story, Volkner found out about Candice. Now, Byron, out of concern for his son's sanity, is going to explain to Gardenia! Be warned, he has, like, no lines at all. I couldn't figure out what he was supposed to say. Um, this is another Volkner-centric chapter, but Gardenia is in it. I swear, I'll write some Roark and Candice bits soon! I just have a hard time writing what they're going through. I'm not too proud of the ending, but I've started the part when things turn out for the best.**_

_**WARNING: Gardenia/Volkner like I have never written before!**_

_**Anyway…**_

Volkner had returned from wherever he went to get over the shock, and now he was talking to himself as he wandered the streets of Sunyshore, too amazed at his own stupidity to notice the confused looks people gave him. Approaching the gym, he saw Darcy and Mightyena had gone. Not that he cared about that, but it did tick him off when he found the note she had taped to the circuit box:

_In case you haven't gotten it yet, Candice was in love with you, and you, obviously, fell for Gardenia. According to Jasmine, Candice's taking care of her broken heart very well. Off to the Pokemon League to annoy Flint, so if you still don't get it after such a simple explanation, you know where to find me to drill it through your abnormally thick skull. You know me, I won't hesitate to yell again. By the way, you owe me a battle._

He didn't mind the insults: she always insulted those who knew her well enough to not take it seriously, though Flint got bashed the most. And of course he knew what had happened, he wasn't so stupid as to forget Candice already. There was, though, still a reason for him to get mad at the Dark trainer.

"And she chooses to use the simple explanation _after_ I understand it," he growled, ripping it off, crumpling it into a ball and throwing it aside, where it hit Raichu and woke the Pokemon from his nap. Volkner failed to notice that, as well. For a moment, Raichu thought about shocking the human. Then, he decided it would probably be better for both of them if he snapped his trainer out of his trance in a less painful way.

"I need to talk to Gardenia," Volkner mumbled. Unfortunately, the rest of his one-sided conversation was useless, disconnected words, most of them not very pleasant anyway.

(a few days later, Gym Leader/Elite conference)

After Cynthia ended the conference, Gardenia was cornered by Byron, who proceeded to tell her all he knew about Roark's problem.

"I never thought…" Gardenia said, then made a slight choking sound. "I didn't know that this would bother him. I should have…"

She rambled on for a few minutes, talking more to herself than to the Steel trainer, more to Roark than herself, but neither one was within hearing range, so she was talking to herself completely.

"Good to see I'm not the only one who's been talking to myself."

Gardenia spun around, seeing Volkner leaning casually against the wall.

"Oh…you heard that?"

"I saw your lips moving." Volker looked more depressed than Gardenia could remember seeing him - which she had thought was nearly impossible. "Would I want to know what you were saying, or should I back away and give you your space?"

Damn. Wrong thing to say. The slight distraction he had given her simply by appearing had worn off, and she looked like she was about to cry over something.

"Forget I mentioned it."

Gardenia shook her head and brushed the tears away. She never cried, so why was she now? It was how Byron had put it, she decided. That, and the fact that she hadn't meant to hurt anyone.

"Just heard something…well, sad, is all," she said, realizing that the harder she fought to keep from breaking down into sobs right there, the harder the…unnamed emotion fought back to make her. She sat down on the floor and rested her chin on her knees. "No one died, though…and he's recovering…"

What she didn't know.

Volkner may be dumber than a bag of Poffins at times, but even he could tell that Gardenia needed alone time just as much as he had. So, giving her time to think, he left in search of Candice. For odd reasons, he wanted to get back on her good side, romantic intentions or not.

Turns out, Candice(and Roark, though Volkner didn't know about Roark's problem) had left as soon as the meeting had ended, and Byron soon after he ended his conversation with Gardenia, so Volkner decided to ask Fantina if she had heard about Candice's trouble. Darcy _was_ a convincing liar, after all, and he wouldn't put it past her to make something like this up. Fantina, on the other hand, never lied(as far as her fellow Gym Leaders could tell) but Fantina confirmed that Candice had been acting very much unlike her usual warm and friendly self, though she had never given a reason, causing Volkner to, once again, start talking to himself.

"Roark's gone," Gardenia said.

Volkner swore at the top of his voice and spun around to face the woman who had brought him out of his thinking space. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You're nearly as bad as Flint!"

"Sorry," said Gardenia. "But Roark and Candice…"

Wait, Roark? Oh, yeah, he was the Oreburgh Gym Leader, wasn't he? One of Volkner's recent challengers had mentioned he talked to rocks, and Volkner hadn't actually paid attention to the rest of said challenger's sentence.

"They left, didn't they?"

She never took her eyes off her feet. "Do you think that…it's possible to die of a broken heart?"

Volkner tried to think, and it made his brain hurt. And still, the best answer he could come up with was, "You should ask someone else about that. Why?"

Gardenia sighed and leaned against him. "The sad story, Volkner."

And no matter how much she tried to pull herself together, she couldn't help but wish it was Roark that she was leaning on, her head resting on his shoulder. Mentally screaming at herself, she was also thankful that Volkner couldn't hear her. She was just as unaware that the Electric expert had other thoughts, too, that he was grateful he was able to hide from her…


	7. Chapter 7

_WARNING: Sappy Senirasu ending. Then again, Moss and Senirasu are probably the reasons why you're all reading this..._

* * *

For the first time in months, it was quiet between Gardenia and Volkner, save for the occasional muttering that being deep in thought caused for them both. Gardenia had mentioned Roark five times in the past minute, though never spoke much more than his name and a few odd words.

On the sixth time she had mentioned Roark, Volkner reached a conclusion.

"You love him, don't you?"

Of course, her instinct was to deny it. She would have, if the words hadn't died on her. Instead, she turned her attention back to the floor, trying to answer his question for herself.

Did she love Roark? Hard to say. Only two weeks ago, she had been sure she was completely and irreversibly in love with Volkner. But then, why did knowing she hurt Roark hurt her the way it did? Suddenly, it was like her whole life had been separated into two worlds: the real world where she and Volkner were together, the world they were in now, and the fantasy land, where Roark was in Volkner's place, the world she would possibly never have a chance to explore. And it suddenly became obvious what world she would have chosen, though the other would be in her mind for quite some time.

"Yes," she said. It sounded strange, yet there was so much honesty in the answer that even Gardenia was surprised.

Volkner didn't reply for a while. "We should talk to Candice first," he said out loud.

"Candice?"

"You mean you don't know the whole story?"

Gardenia shook her head slowly, then allowed Volkner to fill her in on the important details.

As he explained, Gardenia was horrified. Her best friend? Damn it, she really was pathetic.

"Better as friends?" she suggested weakly.

"Better as friends," Volkner agreed.

(Snowpoint)

"It's all right, Gardenia," said Candice into a phone. "You're always my friend no matter how upset I am, don't worry about it." Gardenia said something and Candice laughed. In her pit of despair, it was nice to have her friend back to help pull her out. "All right, see ya."

Candice clicked her phone off just as the gym doors opened. She sighed, then she caught a good look at the man's face.

"Now I see why they call it Snowpoint," said Volkner. "I thought it was just because it was on a mountain."

"Why are you here?" Candice asked the blond gym leader.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sure you've heard of others getting in the way of a relationship?"

Candice nodded, not wanting to take her eyes off of him.

"Well, we hit something we…couldn't get past."

Candice blinked, understanding in an instant. "Well, tell me a little bit about you and whoever she is."

This was going to be harder than he thought. "For one, I don't think she wants to see me. She has a reason, and if she hates me, I can get over it."

"And why would any girl hate you?" Candice asked.

"Well, I was stupid enough to think that she was just a friend, when she obviously thought differently. That should be reason enough."

"It should," said Candice, "but if you apologize for being such an ass, and you mean it, she might forgive you, depending on the type of girl she is."

"That could work," said Volkner thoughtfully.

"Glad to help," said Candice shortly.

"Candice?"

She turned back to him, brown eyes watching him intently.

"I'm sorry for being such an ass," he said. "If you never want to talk to me again, I'd understand it, but just to let you know, I didn't really want to do that to you and Roark."

"Do what?" she said.

"You know…Whatever it was that Gardenia and I…"

"Heartbreak," said Candice without thinking. "Let me guess. You just thought you and Gardenia had something."

"Until you interfered, of course."

Candice thought it over. "Well, I guess I can forgive you."

Right then, Volkner was more confused than Flint had been years before when, just for fun, Volkner told him he knew all about "you-know-what" and threatened to tell "you-know-who," which he knew for a fact had kept Flint up _all night _wondering. Candice was actually forgiving him for this?

Volkner's mental celebration was cut short by her next statement. "But there's a catch."

He turned his full attention to her. She was still watching him, cold as one would expect an Ice-type Gym Leader to be.

"You have to kiss me."

Volkner instinctively took a step back.

"Come on, it's not like you and Gardenia are still a couple," she reasoned. "If you were, I'd be asking you to drink a cup of mouthwash or something."

Volkner considered his options. On the one hand, he could walk away now, unharmed and unforgiven. On the other hand, he could get back on Candice's good side, and start the biggest news story in Sinnoh since Team Galactic's latest crime, complete with Flint making fun of him.

_What the hell, _he finally decided, closing the distance between him and Candice. After all, it wasn't as though anyone would know, unless he or Candice told them. Or they were looking through the window, or something.

Though he started it, she broke it off. "Your next course of action?" said Candice quietly.

Volkner blinked, rational thought returning. "Probably thank Jasmine and my cousin for all the help they have ever given me."

Candice's eyebrows met. "Wait, I know your cousin. How much help could she be in anything?"

"Until about ten days ago, none at all."

"What happened ten days ago?"

"Long story," said Volkner.

Candice deliberately stepped closer. "We can wait."

Volkner did owe her an explanation. "All right, to put it short, Jasmine talked to you." Candice nodded, but Volkner could tell that she was wondering what all this had to do with Darcy. "Jasmine figured out you were upset because of…well, you know, and sent Darcy over to Sunyshore to explain. She wasn't simple enough at first, so I threatened her, she yelled, and I finally pieced it together. After that," something barely defined as a smile appeared on his face for a brief second. "You saw me at the conference."

"So, that's why you were so depressed at the conference?"

"You never know what you have until you've lost it," Volkner quoted, eyes on the ground.

Candice grinned, kissed him again, and kept her arms around him as though she couldn't bear to let go.

"Apology accepted," she mumbled.


	8. Chapter 8

**We had sappy Senirasu, now it's time for Moss!**

**Uh, beware the OOC bits!**

* * *

Roark had managed to escape again, going to Eterna Forest - he couldn't help it that the rock was special to him already. Of course, he had to turn around every now and then to make sure his Pokemon weren't following him…

"Finally," he said, seeing the rock in the distance. But he froze when he saw Gardenia, training her Turtwig.

She saw him, too. "I never knew you were a forest person, Roark."

"It's the rock, really."

Gardenia nodded. "I guess I can see why, then," she said, some of her cheeriness gone. She called Turtwig back into his ball, and instead of leaving, she admired the rock with him. Roark didn't know if it was a good thing or bad thing.

"Roark, I'm sorry for anything I might have done and will do to you in the future," she said all in a rush. "Unless something happens to be a good thing, then I don't regret it at all."

Roark stared.

Gardenia sighed. "Your father told me something I didn't know."

Roark guessed what that could be.

"Then I started having second thoughts about…well, me and Volkner. Two of my friends were upset about it."

Friend? Well, it was better than nothing.

"Candice said she was still my friend no matter how upset she was, which was good, I guess, but I want to know you forgive me."

Roark spoke his mind for once, instead of thinking through his words first. "I shouldn't be so quick to, but…" He was cut off as Gardenia hugged him. A friendly hug, that's all it was, but still.

"So, do you know your way around the forest?" Gardenia asked upon letting go of him.

"I only know the way to the rock and back," Roark admitted.

Gardenia laughed. "Well, I can show you around if you want. Where do you want to go?"

Roark, though wanting to stay at the rock, also wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before this dream sequence ended. "We could…check out the forest mansion, I guess…"

Gardenia shook her head so violently, she was dizzy when she held it upright again. "Anywhere but there! I _hate_ that place." She threw her thoughts around, and then sighed. "I could stay and worship the rock with you," she offered.

"I don't worship-" Roark began, but was silenced as Gardenia stood and admired the rock herself.

"I never noticed before…it's so pretty," she said, feeling the moss.

"Yeah," said Roark, starting to blush. "I-It's really nice."

Gardenia noticed. "Roark, you're like a Cheri berry!"

"Well, maybe if you left," he mumbled, turning redder. He nearly slapped himself, of COURSE he wanted her to stay.

Good thing she had turned her attention back to the rock, then. She hadn't heard him.

"Roark, there's something I have to say."

_Don't make eye contact, she'll only compare you to a walking stop sign… _Roark thought, but of course he did anyway.

"I know I've been an idiot, and you're probably just my friend, but I think…KNOW I've somehow fallen in love with you," she said, all in a rush.

_Hello, Roark's brain is unable to answer right now, please leave a message after the beep._

"Roark?" Gardenia said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Aren't you going to give me the Let's-just-be-friends speech? Honestly, I can take it. You don't have to worry about letting me down gently."

"Why would I worry about letting you down gently?" Roark seemed genuinely confused, so Gardenia looked up. "I wouldn't let you down at all."

The next scene was so sweet, it gave the author cavities, so she decided not to include it.

Suddenly, it was like the first four chapters of this story had taken a different turn. It was as though his heart had never been broken: Gardenia was like a superglue, piecing it back together when Roark, as hard as he tried, couldn't, until there was not a crack left.

"This is a news story waiting to happen," said Gardenia, lying back on the forest floor.

Roark couldn't help himself. "The rock says we should remember the Gym Leader Code." He laughed slightly when speaking.

"Right, the code," said Gardenia, remembering. The code was that no Gym Leader should have more publicity than necessary, despite the fact that they were semi-famous Trainers. Wattson from Hoenn created it when there was a whole story in the _Mauville Times_ about him becoming depressed after losing to Ash Ketchum, and the code been in every region since. No news story, the press covered Gym Leaders, Elite, or Champion, so they all decided to not give them anything to write about.

"Geodude," Roark said, staring into the forest. "You followed me anyway?"

A barely-detected movement, but Gardenia caught sight of a gray, lumpy arm, which suddenly glowed red as Roark returned it.

"He's been keeping an eye on me," Roark explained.

"What for?" Gardenia asked, and by his reluctant silence, she could guess. "Oh. Sorry about that."

"It wasn't really your fault," said Roark, and at Gardenia's Don't-try-to-tell-me-otherwise look, he was quick to say, "I just took it kind of hard, and he got a bit worried."

Gardenia stood up. "I think we should go. Serious violation of the Wattson Law if anyone saw us."

"Not to mention the fact that I have to explain to my other Pokemon why I've got leaves stuck to my shirt again."


End file.
